Program Admission

How to join us

The nursing department offers a great program to become a professional nurse. Whether you want to work in a local hospital or in a clinic across the world, Calvin will help get you there.

Application to the upper division nursing major normally occurs during the second semester of the sophomore year. Applications are due on February 1 for the class beginning the following September. Applicants who submit after the deadline will be considered on a space-available basis only. Calvin students apply online; transfer students please contact us for an application.

In order to apply to the nursing program, students must have the following:

At least sophomore standing (greater than or equal to 27 hours) at the application due date.

Completed six nursing prerequisite courses at the application due date.

A minimum overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.8 at the application due date.

A minimum pre-nursing GPA (GPA acquired from the nine pre-nursing courses) of 2.8 at the application due date.

A minimum grade of C on each of the prerequisite courses at the application due date.

No more than one repeat per required nursing prerequisite course. No more than two of the nursing prerequisite courses may be repeated.

Students should also take note of the following policies:

Prerequisite natural science courses must have been completed within the last seven years.

Preference will be given to applicants who have completed or will complete all nine nursing prerequisite courses at Calvin.

Preference will be given to applicants who have completed more than six prerequisite courses at the time of application.

Consideration will be given to applicants who have made repeated applications to the nursing major.

Applicants who submit applications after the due date will be considered on a space-available basis.

Prerequisite courses in progress must be completed by the end of Calvin College’s second summer session with a minimum grade of a C.

Enrollment in the upper division nursing major is also contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check, fingerprint check and drug screen.

It is important to note that completion of the pre-nursing courses and achievement of the minimum criteria does not guarantee admission into the nursing major. Enrollment in the final two years is limited and thus the admission process is selective.

Nursing Program: Early Admission Policy

A high school graduate interested in nursing is eligible for early admission to the nursing major at Calvin College. The student must meet the following criteria:

A composite ACT of equal to or greater than 28 or

An SAT critical reading plus math score of equal to or greater than 1260 or

Average marks of 91% or higher from a Canadian high school

Students must specify a nursing major on their Calvin College application and submit their final Early Admission qualifying ACT, SAT, or marks from a Canadian High School on or before Feb 1st prior to Calvin admission for their freshman year.

In order to maintain early admission status, a student, at the Calvin College Department of Nursing application deadline, must have:

A 3.5 GPA in the nursing prerequisite courses at Calvin

A 3.3 cumulative GPA at Calvin

Completed admission requirements (i.e. criminal background check, disciplinary check, drug screen, fingerprint check) as specified in the Calvin catalog of the year of the student’s admission to Calvin.

Costs

Nursing students will be charged Calvin tuition. In addition, a fee will be assessed for each nursing practicum course. The fee for 2014-2015 will be $1300 per practicum course. Students normally take one practicum course in each semester of the two-year upper division major.

Prior to beginning the nursing practicum courses, students will need to buy uniforms, name tags, a stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff, and complete an American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR course. Additional costs will be incurred for health-related items such as immunizations and titers as required by the practicum agencies.

Transportation

Classroom and laboratory experiences take place on the Calvin campus. Practicum experiences during the final two years occur at a variety of sites in the greater Grand Rapids area. Students are responsible for their own transportation to those settings. While students may be able to carpool with others for some practicum experiences, there will be occasions throughout the junior and senior years when personal transportation will be necessary.